Keller flashes dominant form for Marauders

As pitching performances go, it wasn't the best of Mitch Keller's career, but it might have been the one that puts him back on track after some early-season inconsistencies.
The third-ranked Pirates prospect turned in his first scoreless outing of the year, holding Charlotte to five hits while striking out a season-high nine over seven scoreless innings as Class A Advanced Bradenton posted a 4-2 victory on Sunday at Charlotte Sports Park.

Box score
Keller (2-1) was perfect through three, fanning five of the first nine batters he faced.
His most successful start of the year was a stark contrast to his 2017 debut when the right-hander was charged with five runs over 2 1/3 innings against the Stone Crabs. Facing the same team three weeks later, Keller kept Charlotte from mounting any serious threats. 
The 21-year-old worked around a pair of singles in the fourth and two more in the fifth. He gave up a one-out double to Brandon Lowe and walked Rays No. 19 prospectKevin Padlo in the sixth but stranded both to preserve a 4-0 lead. 
Keller finished the 97-pitch outing on a high note by retiring the side in order in the seventh to match the longest outing of his career. Since his rough start to the season, the 2014 second-round pick has a 2.16 ERA and 22 strikeouts over 25 innings in his last four outings.
After making 15 appearances, including 14 starts, between 2014-15, Keller had a breakout campaign in 2016 with Class A West Virginia. He posted a 2.46 ERA and struck out 131 in 124 1/3 innings, earning a promotion to the Florida State League, where he fanned seven in six shutout innings in his lone start for the Marauders. The Iowa native went 2-0 with a 2.03 ERA in two starts in the FSL playoffs.

Pirates No. 6 prospect Cole Tucker capped Bradenton's three-run second with an RBI single. Daniel Arribas tripled, doubled, plated one run and scored twice.
Lowe doubled twice and drove in a run for Charlotte. Stone Crabs starter Michael Velasquez fell to 0-3 after allowing four runs on six hits and a walk with a pair of strikeouts in two innings.